76 Sheep-Farming 



that the Southdown may claim precedence over any 

 of the Down breeds in length of lineage, and their 

 claim to being the oldest breed of British sheep in 

 existence has as good support as that of any other. 

 Their history dates from the time of their improve- 

 ment, but that they inhabited the hills from which 

 they derive their name for many years previous to 

 this is clearly established. For time immemorial the 

 Southdown as a breed has had the patronage of the 

 nobility and landed gentry. Mr. Thomas Ellmann, 

 the son of John Ellmann the first improver of the 

 Southdown, in an address before the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society of England, spoke as follows : " If 

 we attempt to trace the origin of the Southdown 

 breed of sheep, their natural character at once in- 

 dicates that they are a mountain race and well 

 adapted to the Southdown hills ; and we may fairly 

 infer, in the absence of any authenticated statement, 

 that they hardly existed on the island before the 

 Roman Conquest, but before the earliest time the 

 Southdown hills with their short, fragrant pasturage 

 and dry, healthy situation must have been the most 

 natural home for this sheep. The first distinct 

 record concerning these sheep relates that about 

 two hundred years ago sundry flocks feeding on these 

 downs were annihilated by a disease called 'small- 

 pox,' which was imported from Holland. From 

 this date some attention was paid toward mixing 

 this breed, and pains were bestowed on its improve- 



